IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Feb 06, 2016

ANSWER: Rice variety

Explanation:

• Swarna Shreya, a new rice variety for drought–prone conditions was released by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• Biofortified rice variety CR Dhan 310 was commercialized successfully in the Indo-Gangetic Plains belt.

ANSWER: 1, 4

Explanation:

• Among the States that already follow 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) are Bihar, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
• The current government will be pushing for a Constitutional amendment to increase reservation for women in Panchayats from 33 per cent to 50 per cent.
• The Ministry would bring about other changes in the law to reserve a particular ward for women for two terms of five years each from the existing single term so that they can undertake developmental activities in a continued fashion.

ANSWER: Rahul Dravid

Explanation:

• Batting great Rahul Dravid has been named in ICC’s newly-appointed Anti-Corruption Oversight Group as part of the recommendation from its Integrity Working Party (IWP) of the parent body.
• The oversight group will include the chairman of the executive committee, former India captain Rahul Dravid, legal expert Louis Weston and independent anti-corruption advisor John Abbott, who was the chairman of the IWP. The chairman of the Anti-Corruption Unit, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, and ICC chief executive, Dave Richardson, will also be ex-officio members of the group.
• Dravid is currently coaching the Indian team in the under-19 age group.

ANSWER: Growth of vegetation

Explanation:

• Glacial meltwater has been known to contain phosphorus, but as Greenland ice sheet melts, it could be releasing more of phosphorus — a key nutrient that can enrich waters of the oceans, potentially stimulating the growth of marine food chain, finds a new study.
• The rising nutrient level could speed up the biological activity of the Arctic waters. It can stimulate growth of plankton — a diverse group of organisms that live in large water bodies and provide a crucial source of food to fishes — at the base of the ocean food web, which could impact birds, fish and marine mammals higher up the food chain.
• Although some types of metastatic cancer can be cured with current treatments, most cannot. Nevertheless, treatments are available for all patients with metastatic cancer. In general, the primary goal of these treatments is to control the growth of the cancer or to relieve symptoms caused by it. In some cases, metastatic cancer treatments may help prolong life. However, most people who die of cancer die of metastatic disease.

ANSWER: Driverless shuttle

Explanation:

• Home-grown Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz unveiled the first driverless shuttle in the country — the Novus Drive.
• The vehicle, which has the capacity to seat 14 people, has been developed and manufactured at the company’s Gurgaon facility.
• The battery powered vehicle can run about 150 km per charge. As part of the showcase, consumers can use the vehicle to travel between some pavilions at the 13th Delhi Auto Expo.
• The user can enter the destination via a tablet mounted on the vehicle. The company said the vehicle has been manufactured for commuting in controlled atmosphere and targeted towards Intra-university travel, large office campus, elderly health care communities, trade fair and theme parks along with the upcoming smart cities.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• PIL instituted suo motu by the Supreme Court attempts to deal with various issues of rights, including gender bias against Muslim women.
• In its plea, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has contended that the apex court cannot examine the constitutional validity of the practices of marriage, divorce and maintenance in Muslim personal law on the ground that provisions of personal laws cannot be challenged by the reason of fundamental rights.
• They argued - Personal laws do not derive their validity on the ground that they have been passed or made by a legislature or other competent authority. The foundational sources of personal law are their respective scriptural texts. The Mohammedan Law is founded essentially on the Holy Koran and it cannot fall within the purview of the expression ‘laws in force’ as mentioned in Article 13 of the Constitution of India, and hence its validity cannot be tested on a challenge based on Part III of the Constitution.
• In 2015, a two-judge bench had ordered registration of a PIL and requested the Chief Justice to set up a Special Bench to deal with issues relating to the challenge to the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act.